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Altera Announces Quartus II Software Version 8.0

Continuing its leadership position in design software performance and productivity, Altera Corporation (NASDAQ:ALTR) announced its Quartus® II software version 8.0, supporting the company’s 40-nm Stratix® IV FPGAs and HardCopy® ASICs. This version of the Quartus II software delivers, on average, a full two-speed grade advantage and 3X faster compile times for high-end FPGAs when compared to the nearest competitor’s latest offering. With new productivity features and support for the industry’s most advanced FPGAs, version 8.0 reinforces Altera’s commitment to deliver the highest level of performance and productivity to FPGA designers.

Over the past five years, Quartus II software has consistently delivered the industry’s fastest compile times for high-end FPGAs, averaging a 20 percent reduction annually. Customers using the 8.0 release to design Altera’s 65-nm Stratix III FPGAs on Windows platforms will see compile times reduced by up to 50 percent, with an average reduction of 22 percent, when compared to version 7.2. Users of Linux platforms will see average compile times decrease by more than 30 percent. Designs leveraging multiprocessor-based servers will obtain an even higher compile time advantage — an additional 20 percent reduction on average — using the industry’s only vendor-supplied FPGA design software with multiprocessor support.

“Our customers continue to emphasize the importance of FPGA design productivity in the race to get products to market,” said Chris Balough, marketing director for software, embedded, and DSP at Altera. “With the release of version 8.0, Altera continues to earn our customer’s confidence that they have a clear productivity advantage with Quartus II software, which they can now leverage for the industry’s most advanced 40-nm FPGAs.”

New IP advisor: Provides design-specific guidelines and recommendations for successful use of Altera’s PCI Express and DDR3 IP.

MegaCore® IP Library: Integrated in Quartus II software, making it easier for users to access Altera’s portfolio of IP cores. New additions with this release include PCI Express Gen2 hard IP, five new video and image processing cores and many feature enhancements.

Pricing and Availability
Quartus II Subscription Edition software version 8.0 is available now through local Altera® sales representatives and distributors. Both the subscription edition and the web edition of Quartus II software version 8.0 will be available for download on June 2 at www.altera.com/download. Quartus II software is also available in DVD format by request at www.altera.com/dvdrequest. Altera’s software subscription program simplifies obtaining Altera design software by consolidating software products and maintenance charges into one annual subscription payment. Subscribers receive Quartus II Subscription Edition software, the Mentor Graphics® ModelSim®-Altera edition and a full license to the IP Base Suite, which includes 11 of Altera’s most popular IP (DSP and memory) cores. The annual software subscription is $2,495 for a node-locked PC license and can be purchased at www.altera.com/buyquartus.

About Altera
Altera programmable solutions enable system and semiconductor companies to rapidly and cost-effectively innovate, differentiate and win in their markets.

Altera, The Programmable Solutions Company, the stylized Altera logo, specific device designations, and all other words that are identified as trademarks and/or service marks are, unless noted otherwise, the trademarks and service marks of Altera Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. ModelSim is a trademark of Mentor Graphics Corp.